Here are Cinephile Corner’s 10 recommendations for movies like My Oxford Year:
Players
Players is comfortable with just existing rather than flourishing and finding new territory to cover in this expansive romantic comedy genre of movies. Netflix’s latest film is just as light and unremarkable as nearly every other one that they’ve produced. Gina Rodriguez and Damon Wayans Jr. co-star in lackluster, windless entry.
Rye Lane
Few films in 2023 will reach the peaceful bliss that Hulu’s newest streamer Rye Lane does, a movie about two lost twenty-somethings recovering from painful breakups over the span of one eventful afternoon in South London. Told through an episodic lens that depicts the steps from heartbreak to a restored faith in relationships, Rye Lane is a cheerful reimagining of the romantic comedy.
Spoiler Alert
I could see some thinking Spoiler Alert is a bit too emotionally manipulative and calculated, but seeing Jim Parsons finally get to be in a good movie that lets him show a different side than Sheldon Cooper was enough of a refreshing spin to suck me in. Ben Aldridge as his significant other Kit delivers a role that only deepens as it goes on. The movie does a beautiful job at telling a somber and heartbreaking tale with the utmost care that it deserves, one that I’m sure Michael Ausiello must be proud of.
Hit Man
Despite my love for nearly all things Richard Linklater and Glen Powell, I just couldn’t bring myself to fall for their newest release on Netflix – Hit Man, which tries its hardest to hide its superstar lead behind a thick layer of nerdy, undesirable heft that I saw right through from beginning to end.
You People
As the first signature Netflix movie of 2023, You People sets the bar extremely low for whatever the streaming giant is planning. It’s incredibly unfunny and unapologetically shallow about every bit of social commentary it tries to muster up. I can’t believe Netflix let this hit their platform.
Ticket to Paradise
When Ticket to Paradise is clicking, it is a lot of fun and absolutely worth the price of admission. When it isn’t, the movie is still charming and charismatic enough to appreciate and sink into, all thanks to leading performances from Julia Roberts and George Clooney.
Marry Me
Marry Me is a Valentine’s Day hit-or-miss flick, depending on who you talk to. It pushes just enough of the right buttons to be wholesome and sweet, even if it doesn’t take your breath away.
Anyone But You
While Anyone But You might offer a few chuckles and some eye candy in the form of Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, it’s a mostly forgettable affair that leaves you craving a rom-com with some actual bite and fizz.
Materialists
Materialists feels like a transitional work. It shows Celine Song experimenting with scale, ensemble dynamics, and new narrative textures—but it lacks the intimacy and precision that defined her first film. It’s a movie with moments that flirt with those same highs in small doses, but one that ultimately falls short. Still, it leaves me hopeful: the emotional territory Song wants to chart is rare in contemporary cinema, and while Materialists stumbles, it’s a sign that she’s aiming high. Her best films are likely still ahead.
Your Monster
While there’s a long cinematic history of lonely women falling for misunderstood creatures—Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water being the gold standard this century—Your Monster does little to innovate or justify its existence. Unlike del Toro’s fully realized world and emotionally resonant storytelling, this film just sort of happens, without much impact. It’s a quirky, oddball experiment that ultimately feels disposable, fading from memory as quickly as it arrives.
